The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-01-19
JOHN N. WILSON HANGED.
4 Crime Which Nearly Led 10 the
Hanging Of Another. Man for
Murder.
The Singular Circumstances Connected
with Wilson's Arrest and
Conviction.
lNorristown pa special

lNorristown PAL special
John M. Wilson was hanged in the jail
yard here, on Thursday, for the murder of
Anthony w. Dealy, in February, 1885, in
Montgomery County, near the Philadelphia
city line. Wilson read speech from the
scaffold. He confessed his guilt, and said
his death in expiation of the crime should
be warning to all persons who had become
victims to strong drink. His body was cut
down and handed over to physician to
whom he had willed it.
The history of the crime for which John
Nj. Wilson paid the extreme penalty, and
the manner of his conviction, are probably
without parallel in the annals of criminal
history. But for confession, which the
murderer afterward denied, the death of
Anthony Dealy would never have been ac-
counted for, and probably another and an
innocent man would have been hanged for
another crime which is most cuiously in
terwoven with that for which Wilson suf-
fered.
In October, 1885, Frederick Stahl, a
butcher who worked for Albert Dieterle at
No. 800 Moore street, Philadelphia, sud
denly dropped out of sight. He had lived
with Adolph Scheuringer, a saloon
keeper, at No. 307 Vine street, with
whom he had deposited 800 for
safe keeping. Weeks passed, and Stahl
was not heard from. Then Scheu-
ringer said that Stahl had been muir
dered, and accused Albert Dieterle (who
owed Stahl money! of the crime. In the
following March the headless and dis
membered trunk of human being was
found floating in the Wissahickon Creek,
~, Eo,r Dorl A bar caarph
made, and one leg and one arm were found.
Scheuringer's charge that Dieterle had
murdered his employe was renewed, and
when at the inquest the body was identified
as that of Stahl, Dieterle was arrested.
On Sunday, Oct. 4, 1885, peculiar
looking man walked into the West Twelfth
Street Station in Chicago, and said that he
was murderer. He said he had killed a
man named Anthony Dealy near Philadel-
phia in January, and after sewing the body
in sacks had thrown it in the Wissahickon
Greek. The next day he repeated the same
story, but in more detail. He said he had
been employed by one Anthony Dealy for
several months on a farm near Philadel-
phia. He quarreled with Dealy about $50
which was due him, and then, picking up a
cleaver, struck the man on the head, kill
ing him instantly. He then cut off the
victims head and hid it between two
feather beds, dragged the body TO the
barn. and, cutting off the legs and arms,
| hid them in n feed-box. Then he went to
the creek and selected place in which to
throw the dissected body. That night he
put the head in a bag along with a lot of
stones. The body and limbs were placed
in other sacks, and with the aid of a sleigh
and horse, Wilson took his CHASTITY load to
the place selected and threw it overheard.
| Il Al. A.. ~.
spending his money for drink, returned to
the house and set it on fire. 1t was en-
tirely destroyed and he said Dealy's family
supposed he was burned up In it.
The trial. which was begun March last,
lasted several days and was very sensa-
tional in its character. Stahls brother. his
friend, Scheuringer, and others who knew
Stahl well still swore that the body found
in the river was that of the Missing butcher.
A score of others swore that it was that of
Anthony Dealy. They related the burning
of the house and the disappearance of Will
son, who was known to them as Sailor
Jack, the day of the fire, and when the
police found the watch which had belonged
to Dealy and proved that it bad been taken
from Wilson while drunk few days after
the fire the evidence was complete. Con-
viction quickly followed.
The whereabouts of Frederick Stahl are
still a mystery. The resemblance of the
two men, Stahl and Dealy, was remark
able. They wore the same size hat, both
were elt-handed, both had their right
shoulders higher than the left, both were
of medium height, both had scars on the
right hand, both had small mustaches, red
hair, and bald spots on the top of Their
heads. Had not Wilson's confession been
corroborated in every particular his convic-
ton could hardly have been had, in view
of the remarkable resemblance of the miss.
ing butcher.